Memories
by WhatATragicComedy
Summary: This story is about a girl that has lost her memory, finds herself in the village, and her experiences therein.
1. Chapter 1

Loneliness. It was a heavy stone inside of her that  
weighed her down more day by day. She wondered how her  
life had become what it had. When she was younger she  
always had friends and things to do. The older she  
got, the more quiet she became. Always afraid  
to saying the wrong thing, she said nothing. Then,  
when she was nineteen, her parents had died. She was  
an only child and had no other family. Wanting to  
block everything and everyone out was her defense to  
the pain she felt. And now, everyone was off and  
married, living their own lives, while she had none to  
live.

"Sadie!" She jerked at hearing her name yelled. "Yes,  
Don?" "Will you come in here and file this for me?"  
Sadie walked into her boss's office, took the papers  
to be filed, and mentally 'rolling her eyes' walked  
the five feet to the filing cabinet and filed the  
papers for him.

After returning home, she made herself dinner and  
turned on the tv. Her favorites were always saved on  
the DVR. The only time she really enjoyed herself was  
when she imagined what it might be like to be living  
life like in one of her favorite shows or movies.  
Doing something other than going to work and sitting  
at home. She was too timid a person to meet people on  
her own. She didn't talk well with people she didn't  
know. Yet again, Sadie found herself thinking about  
her sad existense. Sighing, she went to get ready for  
bed. Looking in the mirror, she sighed again. Her  
rusty brown hair was a mess. Taking it down from the  
ponytail, it fell to her shoulders. She made a mental  
note to get it cut. Her green eyes stared back at her.  
The older she got, the more she saw her mother in  
herself. The same slender nose, the same full lips,  
the same hair. She had her fathers eyes though. Then  
she thought about the crash and having to identify her  
parents. Quickly turning out the light, she got into  
bed.

Another week had passed of sameness. Sadie sat staring  
out her window at work with the urge to simply get up,  
get in her car, and drive somewhere completely new.  
Start over. She brushed it off. The idea of doing  
something that rash. Getting a new job, having to  
interact with new people made her heart almost stop,  
thinking of how she would look like a fool to  
everyone, and yet at the same time, there was just a  
glimmer of hope that maybe she could pull off having  
normal conversation without tripping over herself and  
just start over. The idea hung over her for days and  
days. And then she decided, I'm done. I'm going to  
leave. She gave Don her two weeks notice, packed what  
things would fit in her car, and sold the rest.  
Sitting behind the wheel, she felt the urge to be  
sick. Seriously considering getting back out of the  
car and begging for her job back, she put the car in  
drive and left.

Sadie drove for days, not really knowing where she was  
going, stopping at night in various hotels. On her  
fourth day on the road, she found herself driving on  
an unbelievably long road with walls along both sides.  
All it seemed to do was block the view of forest. On  
coming out the other side, she saw a sign that said  
she had passed through the Walker Wildlife Reserve.  
But it was what she saw next, that really caught her  
eye. A little town of about 20,000 people she'd guess,  
and it just seemed to call to her. After looking  
around and having lunch at a little cafe, Sadie  
decided that she was done driving. She moved into a  
loft apartment above the cafe and started working there the next day. 


	2. Chapter 2

"Sadie, honey, come give me some lovin darlin'"  
"Bobby, I'm not your honey, so you can quick shouting  
it across the restaurant. Here's your food. Anything  
else for you?" "Oh, come on, you don't have to be so  
hard on me. In front of the boys and everything. Why  
don't you take a seat and join us?" Bobby pulled her  
down on his lap. "Bobby, I said no. I'm not  
interested." All his friends started laughing  
hysterically as she got up to go. He acted like he was  
laughing about it but Sadie could see in his eyes that  
he was furious. The look kind of scared her but she  
shrugged it off anyway. Back at the counter, she  
warned Sara that Bobby and the rest of his college  
crew were back. "Ugh, they are such creeps. I wish  
they would hurry up and graduate so they would leave.  
Hey, are we still on for the movie tonight?" "Yeah,  
I'll meet you there."

"That movie was HILARIOUS!" "I know, I could not stop  
laughing. I've got to get home though so I'll see ya  
at work Monday, k?" "Yeah, okay. See ya, Sara." Sadie  
walked to her car still giggling over the movie. The  
theater was in an old part of town and she had to walk  
quite a ways down the road to get to her car. As she  
was about to open the door, someone grabbed her from  
behind. She jumped but didn't get out a yell before  
she saw it was Bobby. "God, Bobby, you scared the crap  
out of me." He smiled. "I thought you didn't want to  
go see that movie." "No, Bobby, I just didn't want to  
see it with you." He got that look in his eyes again  
and before she could even do anything, he had her  
pinned against the car with his hand over her mouth.  
"Ya see, I just don't find that very funny, Sadie."  
Her eyes were wide open and she was breathing heavily,  
heart pounding. Bobby leaned back and looked her over  
while still holding her down. "How about me and you go  
for a little drive? No??? Well I said we should, so  
we're gonna, okay?" He opened the door to the car and  
half threw her in before getting in the drivers seat  
himself. "Where are you taking me, Bobby?" "It's too  
late for talking Sadie." "You're hurting me!" "I said  
shut up!." He hit her hard.

Sadie was starting to wake up when she felt something  
inbetween her legs. She instantly opened her eyes and  
tried to jerk away to see Bobby on top of her. Her  
mouth was ducttaped and her hands were tied together  
above her head. She couldn't move from underneath him.  
All she could do was cry as he raped her. When he was  
done, he just got up and put on his jeans like nothing  
had happened. His eyes looked her over and she felt so  
disgusting and vulnerable. Then he just walked out of  
the room. Her ankles were tied at the bottom of the  
bed, and her hands at the top. She couldn't move.  
The next day was the same. Bobby would come in the  
room, tell her how beautiful she was, rape her, and  
then call her a whore. Laughing, he threw a few  
dollars on her. "Thanks for the good time." After he  
would leave, Sadie would try again to get out of the  
ropes. After trying to no end, she couldn't tell  
whether it was blood or sweat running down her arm.  
Her throat was raw from trying to scream and dry from  
lack of water. Sadie cried some more until she fell  
asleep.

She woke up to the sound of an animal whining. Opening her eyes, she saw that she was in the woods.  
Two dogs were laying beside her. Sadie looked down to  
find that she was naked and her whole body was covered  
in ropes tieing her to a tree. The bark hurt her back  
and her legs were bent behind her and around the tree  
in an awkward position. Her whole body hurt. When she  
tried to see if she could wiggle out, she heard Bobby.  
"Don't bother, sweetheart. I made sure they were nice  
and tight. I bet you're probably wondering where you  
are. You, my dear, are in the middle of f-ing nowhere.  
Smack in the middle of 90 miles of nothing but trees.  
Ya see, I got to thinking last night that I couldn't  
very well let you go, now could I? You'd feel the need  
to tell people about our little weekend together and  
I, well, I don't like girls that kiss and tell. I  
couldn't keep you either. People would start asking  
questions. So, this seemed like the right thing to do.  
It's not messy at all and nobody will look for ya all  
the way out here. This is a protected forest. No one  
is allowed in here. Which means I better get going  
before I get caught out here myself. Have fun  
sweetie." He started to walk off, whistling for his  
dogs to follow. When they didn't, Bobby turned around  
and yelled for them to come. Neither dog budged. The  
fire came back in his eyes and he came and kicked one  
of them hard. It whined and moved back but still did  
not come. "Fine. Stupid mutts. Stay out here with her  
and die." Bobby looked at Sadie, still fuming. He  
fumbled around in his pocket and took out a knife. "A  
little memento to remember me by." Taking the knife,  
Bobby cut an X right above her heart. Sadie winced in  
pain. One of the dogs growled. "Oh, you don't like  
that do ya? How about this?" Bobby stood up and kicked  
her hard in the stomach, again and again. He finished  
off with a good kick to the head.


	3. Chapter 3

There was a pounding sound in the distance. It was  
getting louder. And she was rocking, or at least part  
of her was. Waking up, she realized it was her head  
that was pounding. Her face felt wet and like  
something was being pulled out of her mouth. Opening  
her eyes, she saw eyes. She tried to scream but she was  
still gagged. Seeing a dog trying to bite her she  
closed her eyes tightly again. But she just felt the  
tugging. Opening her eyes again, she saw that it was  
trying to naw at the gag wrapped around her head. It  
was almost through it. Holding her head firmly against  
the tree, the dog finally ripped it off. She was in  
disbelief. Where was she? Where did these dogs come  
from? She looked down. Bloodstained ropes. She felt  
like she was going to throw up. "I have to scream,"  
she thought to herself. Yelling at the top of her  
lungs, she cried for help over and over until she  
couldn't scream anymore. Nothing. She tried to  
remember how she got here but she couldn't. And then  
she started to panic. She couldn't remember anything.  
"What is my name? Why can I not remember my name? What  
if whoever did this to me comes back?" She started to  
cry. The tears stung as they rolled into the cuts on  
her face. Her head was pounding so loudly she couldn't  
hear anything. Then everything started to become dark  
again.

When her head fell forward, one of the dogs began to  
pace and whine. Suddenly it stopped, ears perking up.  
After a moment, it leaped forward and took off  
running. The other dog started to follow and then  
stopped, looking back at the girl. Five minutes later,  
the other dog came running back. It raced to the tree  
and tried to naw on the ropes. Whining some more, it  
put the gag cloth in its mouth and took off again. 

Meanwhile, Lucius Hunt and Ivy Walker were sitting in  
a shady area that they called Resting Rock. Ivy was  
telling a story of something her younger sister had  
done this morning. Lucius laughed and grabbed his  
stomach in pain. Even though she could not see, Ivy's  
face held a worried expression. "I'm fine, Ivy. Just a  
little sore still, that is all." "Lucius, let us walk  
back to the village. I'll make you some soup and you  
can rest some." "No soup, Ivy. No soup." Ivy smiled.  
She realized that he had had so much soup lately that  
he probably never wanted to see any for the rest of  
his life. As she stood up for them to walk back, a  
strange sound reached her ears. It was something  
running, from the woods. "Ivy, what is the matter?"  
Before she could reply, a strange animal appeared  
before them. Ivy reached for Lucius' hand in fear.  
"It's alright, Ivy." "Lucius, what is it?" "It's some  
kind of fox, I think. I've never seen anything like it  
but it looks like a big gray fox. The animal did not  
come any closer but sat whining impatiently where it  
had first been seen. "There is something in its  
mouth." Lucius called the animal over and it  
cautiously came to him and sat down. Reaching for what  
was in its mouth, Lucius saw that it was a piece of  
cloth. "What is it, Lucius?" "It's a hankerchief.  
There is blood all over it." "We must take it to the  
elders at once."

On reaching the village, they found the elders already  
in a meeting. They told of all that had occurred and  
the elders dismissed them with the same worried  
expression on their faces that Ivy and Lucius now had.  
"What does this mean, Edward?" "I don't know, Tabitha.  
I don't know. Someone must be in those woods." Another  
woman spoke. "What will we do?" "We must find this  
person. They are obviously in need." "How did they get  
here?" "We'll find that out later. Whoever is there is  
obviously in need of a doctor and we cannot leave  
someone out there to die, no matter what the  
consequences." "But think of what this could mean." "I  
know, Regina. But I for one could not live with myself  
knowing that I had let someone die in those woods." It  
was then agreed by all that the elder men would go  
into the woods and see what they could find while the  
elder women tried to explain everything to the people  
of the village. The men put on yellow cloaks and  
gathered blankets while the doctor gathered his  
medical supplies. Tabitha and the other elder women  
gathered everyone to a village meeting. "We do not  
know what effect this will have with those we do not  
speak of. Please keep vigilent watch on your children  
and keep the elders in your prayers. It would be best  
if for the next few days, everyone stayed close to  
their homes."

The men had been following the dog for an hour and  
still nothing. Suddenly, it began to bark and another  
dog was heard. Then Edward saw. "Oh my god." The other  
men reached and each one gasped in horror at what they  
saw. A young girl, 20, 21 at most, was limply tied to  
a tree. "Victor, would you please see if she is  
alive?" The doctor knelt down to check her pulse. "She  
is alive but we must get her back to the village  
immediately. I do not know the severity of her  
wounds."

Lucius and Ivy sat quietly on her porch, both staring  
in the direction of the woods. It was getting dark and  
the elders had still not returned. "You ought to go  
in, Ivy." "No. I will stay." Lucius saw the tears in  
her eyes. She was terrified that something would  
happen to her father and the others. She knew  
firsthand that those we do not speak of were real.  
Lucius squeezed her hand. Looking back to the woods,  
he saw figures in the distance. "Ivy, your father!  
...Stay here, I will see..." Ivy jumped up and stood  
at the edge of the porch, holding a column tightly as  
Lucius ran to the elders. He gasped when he saw that  
Mr. Walker was carrying a limp body wrapped in a  
blanket. "Lucius, get your mother immediately. We will  
need her assistance." Without saying a word, Lucius  
was off. Ivy heard as the men got closer. "Papa, what  
is going on?" "Ivy, it is a girl. She is badly hurt.  
Get some clean cloths and bring them to Mrs. Hunt's." 

By the time that the men arrived at Mrs. Hunt's, there  
was a bed already made out and ready for the girl.  
Alice could not believe what she saw. Victor told  
Lucius he would need to wait outside and thanked him  
for his assistance. Edward unwrapped the blanket and  
Alice's jaw dropped. The girl was completely naked  
and was bruised from head to toe with rugburns and  
cuts. Victor came to the bedside. "All the cuts are  
superficial. The main concern is if she has internal  
bleeding. Also, I have no idea how long she was out  
there. She is severely dehydrated. We must clean her  
wounds so that they do not become infected." 

Alice had been cleaning the wounds and trying to  
follow all the orders that Victor had given her. There  
was a knock at the door. "Come in." "How is she?" It  
was Edward Walker. "Her fever still has not broken.  
It has been five days, Edward. I am afraid that she  
will just continue to get worse." Edward looked over  
Alice's face. Her eyes were fatiged. She had not slept  
much in many nights. "I am sorry Alice. I know that  
Lucius is just now past this same state. If there were  
other homes without small children, I would have..."  
"It's alright, Edward." He looked at her hard but she  
would not look at him. "I will have Tabitha come sit  
with the girl for a while so that you may rest."  
"Thank you. That is very kind." 


	4. Chapter 4

There were birds. She heard them nearby. She took a  
deep breath. Her chest ached in pain. She opened her  
eyes to find she was in a small room. There was a  
middleaged woman with dark hair sleeping in a rocking  
chair nearby. She did not wish to wake her yet an  
uncontrolable urge to cough came upon her. The woman's  
eyes shot open. "Oh my goodness, you are awake. Thank  
the lord for that!" The woman was by her side before  
she had even finished speaking. "Where am I?" "There  
will be time for all of that later. For now, you are  
very sick and must get better. Here. Drink some of  
this water." She did drink a little but it was  
lukewarm and it made her face cringe a little. The  
woman smiled. "I'm sorry. It must be quite warm by  
now. I will make some soup now that you are awake. You  
will need it to get your strength up."

The woman came back up shortly and had a small bowl of  
soup. "Now, let's sit you up a bit." It hurt to move  
but she tried not to show it. "Okay. Let's put this  
pillow on your lap here and then you can set your bowl  
on that so you won't have to hold it. The woman sat  
quietly as she ate. There was a knock at the door.  
"Come in." A man with a blondish beard came into the  
room. "Hello, Edward. She is awake." "Ahh, I see.  
Hello, miss. My name is Edward Walker. I am a friend  
and neighbor of Alice's. It is good to see that you  
are doing better." She managed a raspy, "Thank you."  
"May I ask your name?" She set her spoon down. She  
thought and thought yet nothing came. Sheepishly, she  
said that she did not know. Alice looked at Edward in  
a way that the girl could not quite make out then  
looked back at her. "Do you remember anything at all,  
dear?" "No. I remember the woods and dogs but that is  
all." "Yes, we did find two dogs with you in the  
woods. That is all we know, I'm afraid. There is no  
other village or town for a great distance around us  
and we do not know from where you have come." Edward  
excused himself shortly afterword. The fact that she  
did not remember anything was good for their village  
but he did not know what would happen once the girl  
was well. What if she wanted to go back to the towns  
to find out who she was? It could not be known if her memory  
would return or when. He decided that he should not  
worry himself over things that he could do nothing  
about. 

Edward gathered the villagers together at a meeting  
later that day. "The girl's fever has broken. It  
looks as though she will make it through her tragic  
ordeal. She is awake but still in a weak condition  
and must stay indoors for a few more days at least.  
She cannot remember anything about before she came  
here, a tragic outcome from what has happened to her.  
It is only logical that those we do not speak of found  
her and did this horrible thing to her. It would be  
wise to be watchful in case the border is broken.   
Even though she is from the towns, her being in the  
woods means that she might have been seeking refuge  
here. Whatever the case, we must all do our best to  
treat her with kindness. She is one of us now and we  
should treat her as such." The villagers agreed to all  
that Edward said. All were curious to this stranger  
in their town. 


	5. Chapter 5

Alice spent a good deal of time in the room with her.  
She talked of the small village they were in and of  
her son's upcoming marriage. The girl observed that Alice  
was a beautiful woman and loved to laugh. Her company  
was very enjoyable and the girl was thankful for it. Though,  
after three days in bed, she was beginning to feel  
stir crazy and asked if Alice thought it would be okay  
for her to get up. Alice thought it would probably be  
fine but she would feel better if the doctor came  
first. The doctor said that if she felt up to it, she  
was welcome to.

"Here is a dress for you. It's one of mine so it will  
probably be a little big on you but we can fix that  
later. No, no, let me help you with it. You shouldn't  
be bending over. There, all done." She looked at  
herself in the mirror. It was a hunter green dress,  
simple, long sleeved, and high necked. It seemed  
familiar and unfamiliar all at the same time. Alice  
looked so natural in her brown patterned dress but for  
some reason she felt silly wearing hers and she didn't  
know why. "I think these shoes of Ivy's will fit you  
better than mine." "Yes, thank you." "Let's see. Now  
all you need is to have your hair done. Sit here and  
I'll put it up for you." Alice took her rusty hair and  
put in in a loose full bun with a few of her shorter  
pieces hanging loose in the front. She touched the  
cuts on her face. They were barely visable now but the  
questions that they brought to her mind abounded.  
"Don't you worry about those. They've healed quite  
nicely. There. You look lovely. I think it's time you  
get to meet some people, don't you." "I'm nervous."  
Alice gave her a mothering smile. "Don't worry. You'll  
be fine. People aren't used to seeing strangers around  
here but they are eager to meet you."

Alice led her down stairs into a living area. It was  
open and neatly kept. "It is cool out so you will need  
this shawl. Perfect. Let us go." Alice opened the door  
to a brisk cool air. Immediately, two dogs were at her  
feet. "Ahh, your companions. They have refused to  
leave my front door since you came here." The girl bent to  
pet them to which they happily loved on her. She felt  
badly that she could remember nothing of them when  
they had been such loyal companions to her. She rose  
and was taken back at the view. It was beautiful  
country. An open field was to the left of the village  
that she was sure must be absolutely breathtaking in  
spring. Spotted together were homes of all different  
shapes and sizes. Not many people were out that she  
could see. Too cold to be out needlessly she imagined.  
"Most of the men in town are working on the building  
of my son's home." 

"Oh, look there, that is Ivy." Ivy was about the same  
age as herself and wore a dress of a beautiful blue  
shade that made her curly red hair look even more  
vibrant. "Ivy, I'd like you to meet the new addition  
to our town." "Hello, Mrs. Hunt. It is nice to finally  
meet you miss. I am glad to hear that you are well. I  
am on my way to bring some fresh muffins to Lucius and  
the others. Would you both like to join me?" "Yes, I  
was planning on taking her there next." "Good." Ivy's  
smile was so innocent and open it put her at ease. 

The home that was being built was almost finished. The  
outside structure was mainly done. Some work was still  
being done on the roof. On entering the front door,  
she could see that it was an open floor plan and  
reminded her a little of Alice's home. She had not  
noticed at first that Ivy could not see but looking  
the home over, she could see how the layout would be  
of most benefit to her.

"Lucius?" A man peeked his head around a corner. He  
had thick dark wavy hair and his eyes betrayed a  
shyness about him. On seeing Ivy, he smiled and  
quietly walked over. Without his saying a word, Ivy  
seemed to realize he was beside her. "Mama and I have  
made some muffins for you all. She and Abigail are  
coming behind me to bring some hot tea as well." He  
smiled again but before he said anything the other men  
were gathering. A robust man with strawberry blonde  
hair took in a deep breathe. "Those muffins smell  
absolutely delightful, Ivy." "Thank you, Mr.  
Nicholson. Help yourself to one." "I think I will." He  
turned, noticing Mrs. Hunt and herself. "Hello there.  
Excuse my manners. I did not see you before. My name  
is August Nicholson. It is a pleasure to meet you  
miss." Soon all were introducing themselves and the  
more it went on the more she became unsure how to  
reply. She had no name with which to introduce  
herself. She did notice that all the younger ones  
addressed those that were older than themselves as Mr.  
or Mrs. and so she decided she should do the same.  
"Mrs Hunt?" "Yes, dear?" "I have no name. I do not  
know how to introduce myself. I feel silly simply  
thanking people for their kind remarks and offering no  
name in return but I have no idea where to begin if I  
were to choose one." "Hmm. You are right. There is a  
large Bible that Mr. Nicholson keeps that has all the  
bible names listed in alphebetical order. We may ask  
him if we may borrow it so that you may find a name  
you like." She smiled. "I like that idea very much."  
Mr. Nicholson happily obliged and said that they were  
welcome to go to his home and get it themselves but  
that he would like to stay and continue working. 

On the way to Mr. Nicholson's, she was introduced to  
Mrs. Clack. After the usual introductions, Alice told  
Mrs. Clack their plan to find her a name. "I remember  
in the towns, whenever a persons identity was unknown  
they would call them John or Jane Doe. So there's an  
idea to start you off." She liked the sound of that  
name. Jane. It was simple and yet elegant. She would  
definately take Mrs. Clack's advice and keep that name  
in mind. For the next few days, she stayed at Mrs.  
Hunt's looking through the pages of the Bible.  
Visitors would stop by and they would discuss their  
favorites together. Jane kept sticking in her mind.  
"Mrs. Hunt, I like several of these names. I'm unsure  
of what to choose." "Which one keeps coming back to  
you?" "I do like Mrs. Clack's suggestion, Jane." "That  
would be a nice choice for you." "I cannot find a  
middle name that I like to go with it." "Well, if I  
had had a little girl, I always wanted to name her  
Moriah. You may use that if you wish." "Jane Moriah. I  
like that." A smile beamed on her face. "I have a  
name." 

Jane was having to learn to do everything. Mrs. Hunt  
was teaching her to sow and trying to teach her to  
cook, though so far Jane felt that she would never be  
able to make anything edible. "Mrs. Hunt, I am a  
burden to you. I cannot do anything a woman should be  
able to do." "Jane, you will learn. It will just take  
time. And never call yourself a burden. I enjoy your  
company. You came at just the right time. With Lucius  
getting married soon, I was to be very much alone in  
this big house, and now I have you." It made Jane feel  
better until dinner was served. She had tried to make  
a stew but had used too much seasoning. Lucius took a  
sip and tried hard not to betray any expression. Jane  
felt downhardened but continued to eat herself. The  
more she watched Lucius trying to keep a straight  
face, the more she thought it was humorous until she  
started laughing out loud. "I'm sorry, Lucius. I know  
it is terrible." "It is fine, really." Jane stared at  
him across the table with a knowing look. "It is a little strong."

She smiled. Mrs. Hunt chimed in, "Oh, Jane, I don't know how I

forgot to tell you. Mr. Walker and  
his wife came by this morning. They are throwing a  
party in your honor as an introduction to the village  
so that you may get to know everyone better." "A  
party? With dancing?" "Yes, it will be at the end of  
the week." Jane's cheeks started to get a little red.  
"Mrs. Hunt? I have a confession to make." "What do you  
mean?" "I do not know any dances. I'll look like a  
fool." "We can fix that. Here stand with me." For the  
rest of the evening, Mrs. Hunt practiced dance steps  
with Jane while Lucius looked on and chuckled. 


	6. Chapter 6

"Thank you all for coming. We've gathered together  
tonight in celebration of the new addition to our  
village. I would like to introduce you all to Jane. I  
know you all will make her feel welcome. Enjoy the  
party." And with Mr. Walker's speech done, all eyes  
were on her, making her blush. Within moments, the  
music had begun to play and partners were being chosen  
to dance. "Hello Jane. My name is Beatrice. It is a  
pleasure to meet you." Beatrice had curly hair of a  
rusty brown shade slightly brighter than her own.  
"Thank you. I believe I saw you at a distance the  
other day walking with an older couple." "Most likely  
my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thatcher, sitting over  
there." Beatrice introduced her parents and then  
invited Jane to come with her to the greenhouse  
tomorrow. At that time, a sandy haired young man came  
up to them, introduced himself to Jane as Jesse, and  
asked if he could steal Beatrice away for a dance.  
Jane could tell by her smile that Beatrice liked Jesse  
very much and watched them walk to the dance floor. As  
she stood by herself looking around, she caught a dark  
haired boy staring at her. He was a little older than  
herself she presumed and had deep brown eyes. The  
instant that she saw him, he walked out of sight. 

"Hello, miss. My name is Adam Brown and I was  
wondering if I could have the next dance?" He had a  
confident and relaxed smile on his face and the  
instant she saw him, Jane got butterflies in her  
stomach. She was nervous to be on the dance floor and  
she could see that many people were staring at her.  
Adam didn't seem to notice or care one. Jane could see  
by the way that people were lining up that this was a  
dance that she hadn't practiced with Mrs. Hunt. Her  
panic must have been evident on her face for Adam  
said, "Don't worry if you don't know the steps. Just  
follow my lead." Something about him put her at ease.  
All through the dance she found herself laughing and  
after it was over, Adam led her to the side. "That was  
so much fun." "I know. I've worked myself up quite a  
thirst. Can I get you something to drink?" "Yes,  
please." Jane watched him as he walked away. He was  
tall and by his build she could tell that he worked hard  
at what he did. His blonde hair shone in the  
candlelight. When he came back she asked, "Are you by  
any chance a relative of Jesse's? You look so very  
similar." "Yes. He's my brother. There's five of us  
actually." "Five! My goodness." He laughed. Jane saw  
that they were were beginning a dance she recognized.  
"I know this one!" "Good," Adam playfully smiled,  
"let's see if you can really dance." 

Jane walked down the stairs the next morning with a  
pleasant smile on her face. Humming a song, she danced

around Lucius, who was carrying  
firewood. "Good morning, Lucius." He looked at his  
mother like he had never seen someone act in such a manner.

They all sat at the table to eat some  
breakfast. Mrs. Hunt asked the obvious question, "So,  
did you have a good time at the party last night,  
Jane?" "Yes, it was wonderful. The room was decorated  
so wonderfully with the candles. It was beautiful. I  
met Beatrice Thatcher. She has invited me to come with  
her to the greenhouse today." "Beatrice is a good  
girl. You'll have a good time with her. ...Anything  
else of interest?" Mrs. Hunt gave Jane a knowing look  
that made her blush. "I did enjoy dancing very much  
and I thank you so much for your pointers. I would  
have been completely lost without them." "I'm glad. I  
did notice Adam Brown paid you a good deal of  
attention last night." Jane smiled. "He was very nice.  
Something about him was so natural and carefree."  
Lucius changed the subject by informing his mother  
that he was to sit in the watchtower that night. "What  
exactly is the watchtower for?" Both Mrs. Hunt and  
Lucius instantly seemed to get a little tense. Lucius  
simply looked down so Jane looked at Mrs. Hunt for an  
answer. "In these woods, there are those we do not  
speak of. As long as we stay in our village, they have  
never been a bother to us. When any have ventured into  
the woods,..." She stopped, seeminlgy unsure of what  
to say. Lucius answered, "They attack." Jane was taken  
aback. She instantly thought of how she was found in  
the woods. "Does this mean...that, that what happened  
to myself was the result of those creatures?" Mrs.  
Hunt took her hand. "It is the only logical conclusion  
we know of." So many questions came into Jane's mind.  
Why had she been traveling alone? What kind of  
creatures were these? Then the ones that saved her  
came to her mind. "The men that found me. They were  
not attacked?" "They were very fortunate." Lucius  
looked to his mother. "They did cross the border to  
get her. If those we do not speak of realize this,  
they may enter into the village." Jane's heart sank.  
"If they do, I would be the cause. If they had not  
entered the woods, you would not have that worry." "We  
have measures to protect ourselves. That is why Lucius  
is going to the watchtower. If he rings the warning  
bell, it will alert us to close ourselves in our homes  
and hide in our cellars. We will be safe there."  
Lucius excused himself from the table, sorry that he  
had made Jane worry about such a thing. 

After breakfast, Jane excused herself and went up to  
her room. Pulling up her sleeves, she looked at the  
scars on her wrists. It looked as if they had been  
bound in something course. Her ankles were the same.  
And a tiny X on the left side of her chest terrified  
her. It was if she was being marked or warned of  
something worse to come. What kind of creatures could  
do such a thing? Jane decided that she wanted to speak  
furthur on the matter. She did not feel that Mrs. Hunt  
handled such talk very well and did not wish to bring  
such a topic as so bothered her up again. Edward  
Walker seemed to be one that everyone looked up to so  
Jane decided that it would be best to speak with him.

Walking outside, Jane was greeted by the two dogs once  
more. She would need to give them names, she decided.  
Later though, not now. They followed her as she went  
and with a simple "Wait here" they lay on the porch of  
the Walker home as she was invited in. "Mr. Walker, I  
have some questions about the village and how I came  
to be here. I hope that you do not mind my asking them  
but I felt that you might be able to help me gain some  
peace with it all." "What is it you have in mind?"  
"What type of creatures are those that are in the  
woods?" Mr. Walker sat quietly for a moment but showed  
no signs of nervousness or fear like Mrs. Hunt had.  
"They are large meat eating animals. Other than their  
apparent attraction to the color red, we do not know  
much about them." Jane lifted her sleeves. "These cuts  
are unique from all the others that I have. They are  
on my ankles as well. All the others have healed  
without leaving a mark but these are deep. To me it  
appears as if I was bound. I do not know of any animal  
that binds their prey." Mr. Walker lowered his head. A  
sad thoughtful expression covered his features. "Jane,  
I do not wish to frighten you." Confused, Jane sat  
straighter in her chair. He paused for a moment longer  
and continued, "I had hoped to not have your ears hear  
such things as I am about to tell you, but you  
have a right to know. It is most likely that a man has  
done these things to you. You were bound with ropes  
and badly injured when we found you." Tears filled her  
eyes. "Why did Mrs. Hunt say that it was the  
creatures?" "We thought that it would be easier for  
you to bear. It was in no way meant to harm, Jane."  
Though she tried hard to hold them back, the tears  
started to fall. "So, what you are saying, is that  
some man took me from my home, did these unspeakable  
things to me, and left me to...to...?" "I am sorry,  
Jane." She sat for many minutes unable to think of one  
thought inparticular. "How is it that the creatures  
did not find me before yourselves?" "I cannot answer  
that. Some animals do not attack or scavenge on others  
prey. It could be that your dog companions helped  
protect you as well. We really do not know. ...It may  
not provide much comfort to you now, Jane, but you  
will never have to worry about such a thing ever  
happening to you in this place. When we came to settle  
here, we were leaving the towns for the wickedness  
that abounded in them." Jane sat unable to speak or  
look at Mr. Walker for some time. "I think I would  
like to get some fresh air." Mr. Walker led her to the  
door. Jane walked through the village. Children were  
playing with spinning tops to her left. She wondered  
what she had been like as a child. As she continued  
walking, she saw Ivy and Lucius laughing together.  
What if she had had a loved one? Did she even have any  
family? Someone had taken all of these things from  
her. Jane may have given herself a name, but she had  
no identity. And she could not understand how reading,  
writing, and the names of things came to her with ease  
and yet she was a complete mystery to herself. Before  
she even realized, she was out of the village and  
wandering through the open field. Falling to the  
ground, Jane sat and cried. She laid down, looking to  
the sky, contemplating what she should do. Should she  
try to return to the towns? Maybe she would remember  
something. How would she even know where to begin?  
What if the one who did those horrible things to her  
found her? He could easily deceive her with her having  
no memory of him. That would be the most horrible  
possibility. And then there are the creatures? How  
would she even attempt going to the towns in the first  
place? Even if they did not attack her, there would be  
a chance that they would attack the village. Jane  
could not bear the idea of someone being hurt or worse  
on her account. She sighed. It did not feel as if she  
had anything to go back to. Even if she was to return,  
it did not mean that her memory would. Then there were  
Mrs. Hunt and Lucius to consider. She was very fond of  
both of them. Lucius she had not liked very much when  
she first met him. His quiet nature made her uneasy.  
The more she observed him though the more of a  
peculiar yet lovable creature she found him to be.  
Sitting up, Jane looked back at the village. It was  
hard to believe that almost a full month had passed.  
If she was to truely be happy, she would have to focus  
on now. Forget that she had forgotten so to speak.  
This should be looked on as an opportunity. Everything  
would be new. Everything could be an adventure. One of  
the dogs yawned, Jane only at this noticing they were  
even there. "Well, now, what shall I name you two? If  
you're going to follow me around everywhere I go, you  
must be called something." The female was mainly a  
blue grey color with black spots and white on her  
chest, belly, and nose. Mr. Nicholson had said she  
might be a type of border collie. To Jane, she just  
looked like a big poofball. "Cotton, I think that  
fits. You look like a big dirty cottonball." Laughing,  
she looked to the male. He was a lab/weimeraner mix  
looking most like a lab but gray in color. "I shall  
call you Shadow...because you follow me everywhere!"  
With that done, Jane stood up with new conviction and  
headed back to the village. 


	7. Chapter 7

Jane went with Beatrice to the greenhouse like she had said she would. They talked of the different plants and how to tell when they would be ripe. While learning this was important, it interested Jane little. As they were going through the greenhouse, Jane could tell that Beatrice was in her own little world, smiling to herself like she possessed a great secret. "Did you enjoy the party last night, Beatrice?" Beatrice's smile widened with a hint of pink coming into her cheeks. "Yes, very much. I do hope that you enjoyed the party, Jane. It was for you after all." "Yes, I did. I hope to be able to learn the dances better in the future though. ...Of course, Jesse Brown and yourself danced wonderfully together." Both the smile and color in Beatrice's face became more distinct. "He is a wonderful dancer, isn't he?" "Does Jesse work with the other men, building Lucius' new home?" "Yes." "Well, I happen to know that Mrs. Hunt is making some freshly brewed tea. We just might be able to get her to let us bring some of that to the men after we're done here." They both laughed. "That sounds like a great idea."

The men were obviously ready for a break on the girls' arrival, for most all stopped for a drink and conversation. Once Jesse found Beatrice, there was no talking to either of them for they were completely unaware of anyone else being in their presence. Jane was happily having conversations with Mr. Nicholson and Mr. Walker when she noticed the dark haired man from the party walking down the stairs. He had his head down and was laughing about something. When he looked up, their eyes met. Something about his eyes made it feel like she could see all the way into his soul. Just as suddenly as he had looked at her, his face became serious and he looked away. "That boy!" she thought to herself. "He's downright odd." He was mysterious, though, and that intrigued her. Jane had half a mind to go over and introduce herself just to see what his reaction would be. At that moment, a young man of her age came up for a drink. He had long blondish hair and very pale skin. He seemed skirmish and uneasy. "Hello, my name is Jane. I don't believe we met at the party last night." His eyes widened, seemingly horrified that she had spoken to him. Unsure of how to react, Jane handed him his drink. He muttered a thank you under his breath and walked away. Jane was bewildered. Did she have a sign on her forehead reading "Beware"? "What is that face for?" Jane turned towards the voice to see Adam looking at her questioningly? "Oh, nothing. I'm just beginning to wonder what the people of this village think of me is all." "Why do you say that?" Jane told him of what had just transpired between the young man and herself. Adam laughed. "That would be Fenton Coin. He is scared of everything. Being that you are from the towns, he probably thinks you are nothing but wicked." "Really? How silly!" "I don't know. You do have that look about you..." Adam smirked as he said it and Jane couldn't help but smile back. She liked this Adam Brown.


End file.
